Ron Shiflet

Looking for Darla was released in 2008 by the Dimensions Book imprint of Elder Signs Press. It is the first single author collection of Ron Shiflet, an author well known to fans of modern mythos and weird fiction. I first ran across the stories of Ron Shiflet with the marvelous story Seduced in Eldritch Blue. Since that time Mr. Shiflet has regularly had stories appear in anthologies, particularly from Elder Signs Press. His works have appeared in chap books and other publications from show more Rainfall Books, and he has served as editor for books such as Damned in Dixie and Hell's Hangmen from self publication site Lulu.com. Looking for Darla is a 228 page (text starting on page 7) trade paperback that lists for $15.95, but variably discounted at Amazon, a pretty good buy. The decent cover art is by Chris Hill, who had art appear in the Book of Dark Wisdom ages ago, although I cannot recall it. Editing was pretty tight; I don't recollect any typos when I read this back a few months ago. All of these are newly published stories.

My general impression of the mythos fiction of Ron Shiflet is that it is pretty entertaining and pretty well written. It is not mesmerizing, like that of WH Pugmire (but then what is?), not compelling like that of Caitlyn Kiernan, not startlingly original like that of Brian Sammons, not as attractive as that of Stephen Mark Rainey or Ann K. Schwader, but pleasant, comfortable, an easy read, not too different from story to story. If you liked Artifacts by William Jones you'll probably like this. I have always though Mr. Shiflet has a good ear for dialogue and creates believable characters, and this is what gives his stories their spark. If you have read two or three of his other works, you know what you are getting, and whether this book is for you. When I read it, I read 1-2 stories per night over the course of a couple weeks, and this kept the book fresh. I am not sure it would work as well if done in one sitting. While Mr. Shiflet is known for his mythos stories, he has other interests and not all of these are Lovecraftian fiction.

The Bank Job - The criminals who are featured in Mr. Shiflet's stories are often not so loveable, not so bright losers who stumble purposelessly onto the fringes of the known. One such character is fleeing a disastrous crime when he stumbles upon an avatar of an ancient sorcerer.

Beside Myself - In fact, many of these characters are losers on the fringes who continuously screw up their lives. In this tale, one such loser inherits some musty old tomes and manages to summon a doppelganger of himself. Things go pretty swimmingly at first...This may have been my favorite story in the book.

Case of the Missing Grimoire - Wade Kearney is a down on his luck gumshoe hired to track down an old book that may have been stolen. Pretty readable mythos gumshoe yarn.

The Scales of Justice - Here I think there was a small editorial error. The Scales of Justice is not a sequel to Looking for Darla per se but the events take place after that story with the same main character. I think Looking for Darla should have appeared before it in the book, and that's how I suggest you read it. Bill Sweetan is an Arkham based gumshoe, and will probably become a recurring character for Mr. Shiflet. In this case, he is hired by a herpetologist who has collected a specimen from the southwest USA and is now being shadowed by a Native American. Guess which Great Old One appears. I liked this one pretty well.

Looking For Darla - Here Bill Sweetan is hired to track down the wife of a professor at good ole Miskatonic U, who has apparently been abducted to Innsmouth. Well, maybe not *abducted*. Another decent read.

Payback is a Bitch - One lowlife thug gambler greases another and then seems to be shadowed by his victim. I was entertained throughout.

Mother's Little Helper - Another recurring theme Mr. Shiflet is exploring is a backwoods area called Shub's Woods and her daughters who are always on the prowl. Here a seedy factory boss takes advantage of his female workers. Pretty engaging.

Rough Night In Innsmouth - A tough sailor engages in bar fights for money. Maybe he shouldn't have taken that bout in Dagon's Den. An entertaining read.

The Jealous God - A musician makes a deal with the Dark Man for success. This story explores whether salvation is possible after that. I liked it, although its tenor was a bit different than the rest of the book.

A God's Eye View - This story is told from the point of view of a minor mythos entity, Char-Tal, as it manipulates a human. For me it didn't work so well, as the anthropomorphized motivations of the being ended up seeming pretty petty.

True to Their Nature - This short piece relies on contrasting perspectives. Nifty concept piece.

Don't Monkey With a Monkey - Wade Kearney from the Case of the Missing Grimoire makes another appearance. Like Bill Sweetan, he's based in Arkham. Kearney even mentions Sweetan. Maybe Mr. Shiflet is trying to decide which one to develop further? Or if they are to be rivals? Or partners? A scientist at MU loses track of his experimental subject. Like all the gumshoe pieces here, it was pretty entertaining.

The Parasite - A déclassé couple has an unpleasant experience when the husband retches up something that looks back at him. In fact this was probably my favorite in the book.

Gut Shot and Coyote Eaten - Great title! In the old west an unscrupulous doctor really does not help the wounded cowboys brought to him for assistance. Being a Texan, Mr. Shiflet likes western stories.

Don't Tease the Animals - A young man has strange experiences when spending the night in his grandfather's old house. Pretty good read.

So my bottom line is I liked this book pretty well; I thought it was a good buy for its size and the stories were all readable and entertaining. If I rate it lower than William Jones' Rudolph Pearson collection it is not because the writing is inferior, but rather the Rudolph Pearson book has an overall story arc I liked. The same is true of CJ Henderson's The Tales of Inspector Legrasse. Clearly Shiflet's prose is better than The Colour Out of Darkness by Pelan or The Lair of the Dreamer by Searight. I think Cthulhu mythos fans and fans of Mr. Shiflet will be well pleased. show less